How-To Geek

Is your Windows PC noticeably slower after installing a recent update? It’s common for new patches to affect performance. In other cases, the update doesn’t break Windows—it just breaks something in Windows. The good news is that most of these slowdowns aren’t permanent and are easy to sort out.

The Camry’s rapid rise as Toyota’s best-selling hybrid caught a lot of people off guard—especially with the RAV4 being as popular as it is. Turns out, plenty of buyers still want a good old-fashioned sedan, even with no shortage of shiny SUVs on the lot.

I woke up on Sunday morning to find that I’d left the garage door open all night long and that a bike had been stolen. After wishing great harm on whoever decided to take my partner’s daily ride to work, I started thinking about how I can prevent this happening in future with the help of Home Assistant.

I love open-source software, and it's been essential to my needs over the years. I've used GIMP when I couldn't afford Photoshop. Scribus when I needed to design a book for college, and OpenOffice for the Linux netbook that got me through post-grad. I owe open-source software a lot, and it's too important to hold it to a lower standard than the closed-source for-profit stuff.

Were you an avid Google Voice user? I was, and it was an amazing service at one time. These days, however, it seems like a forgotten service. Here’s why I stopped using Google Voice, and also how I think Google could raise its VoIP service from the ashes.

For years, I've relied on running totals in Microsoft Excel, but the traditional methods are fragile and unreliable. Since Microsoft introduced the SCAN function, I've switched to a brand-new approach that is flexible, self-healing, and doesn't break when my data grows.

Google Chrome's default settings can hinder your browsing experience, compromise your privacy, and chew through system resources. That's why I always disable the following settings when installing Chrome on a new machine.

We often point fingers at system files, apps, update caches, temporary data, or restore points when the C drive fills up. But the biggest space hog is usually hiding in plain sight: the Downloads folder. Here’s why it fills up so fast, how to clean it out, and how to stop it from ballooning again.

Recently while working on my homelab setup, I noticed the dual network ports on my NAS, and I got curious what was possible with the second. Looking through manuals and discussions, I learned I had a few options.

A NAS is endlessly versatile. You can use it as a simple solution for backups and data storage, or you can evolve it into a full-on homelab, with Docker containers, VMs, media streaming, photo management, and smart home services. That versatility is exactly why it's not a one-size-fits-all solution.

This wasn't a particularly busy week in the tech industry, given the holiday season wrapping up and CES 2026 on the horizon, but there was still some exciting tech news. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

The tech press seems to be fixated on social media and AI. Someone like me, who cares about tech at more than a surface level, can feel frustrated with the tech world. Is scrolling through feeds and interacting with chatbots all there is? If you're bored with tech, Linux might help you fall back in love with it.

German SUVs are often praised for performance and luxury, but long-term reliability isn’t usually part of the conversation. That’s what makes this particular model so surprising. It combines serious speed, a refined interior, and everyday comfort with a reliability record that defies the stereotypes surrounding German vehicles. For buyers who want excitement without constant trips to the service department, it stands out in a crowded premium segment.

A new year is a time of new beginnings and, as corny as it sounds, a great excuse to look at areas of your life that need improving. As someone who jumped headfirst into Home Assistant in 2025, I’m looking to make some changes to improve my smart home in 2026.

Are you interested in self-hosting your own website? It’s actually easier than you think. With just six simple tools, you can have a website up and running on a computer at your house this weekend—here’s how.

As 2025 comes to a close, we're taking a moment to look back at the hardware, gadgets, and tech that defined our year. Instead of a standard roundup, we asked our editors to select the gear they couldn't live without this year. Welcome to How-To Geek Wrapped 2025.

If you're thinking about buying a new laptop or desktop, a GPU, a phone, or building a PC, I recommend doing it sooner rather than later. Thanks to AI, the price of memory has spiked, and it's only a matter of time before every device that packs a lot of memory (or storage) is affected.

So you just installed Linux on an old laptop for the first time. Or maybe you did months ago and it's just been sitting unused in your office since. Now what? Is there anything to do besides surf the web?

Got any broken RAM sticks in your drawer? Perhaps your RAM stopped working right smack in the middle of the RAM-pocalypse? Worry not, because many memory vendors offer lifetime warranties on their products.

The mid-size SUV segment is packed with great options, from the ever-popular Honda CR-V and Toyota Highlander to the stylish Hyundai Santa Fe. Then there are the under-the-radar choices, like the Volkswagen Atlas, quietly doing their thing.